1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable.
Here, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is an apparatus which forms an image on a recording medium using an electrophotographic image forming method. Examples of electrophotographic image forming apparatus include an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (such as an LED printer or a laser beam printer), an electrophotographic facsimile machine, and an electrophotographic word processor.
A process cartridge makes charging means, developing means, or cleaning means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member integrally into a cartridge which is detachably mountable to a main body of an image forming apparatus. Or, a process cartridge makes at least one of charging means, developing means, and cleaning means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member integrally into a cartridge which is detachably mountable to a main body of an image forming apparatus. Alternatively, a process cartridge makes at least developing means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member integrally into a cartridge which is detachably mountable to a main body of an image forming apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic image forming process, a process cartridge method is adopted where an electrophotographic photosensitive member and process means acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member are made integrally into a cartridge which is detachably mountable to the main body of the image forming apparatus. According to the process-cartridge method, the apparatus can be maintained by a user himself without requiring a serviceman, which greatly improves the operability of the apparatus. Therefore, the process cartridge method is widely used in image forming apparatus.
Such a process cartridge has toner remaining amount detecting means for detecting the remaining amount of toner (developer) in the cartridge such that, in a case where the cartridge runs out of toner, the out-of-toner state is indicated by indicating means of the image-forming-apparatus main body to invite change of the process cartridge and, at the same time, to stop the image forming operation.
Because of the recent trend toward larger toner capacity process cartridges, in order to detect the life of the process cartridge, not only detection by the toner remaining amount detecting means but also means for detecting the life of the electrophotographic photosensitive member and the life of sliding parts, for example, life detecting means for detecting the rotation number of a photosensitive drum or for counting the print sheet number or the print dots is used.
The process cartridge is detachably mountable to the main body of the image forming apparatus. Therefore, in a case where the process cartridge is changed during usage, for example, in a case after a cartridge for black color is used, a cartridge for red color is mounted and used, and then the cartridge for black color is again mounted and used, it is necessary to accurately detect and manage the life of the individual process cartridges.
Accordingly, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-171329 proposes provision on a process cartridge of a bar code describing individual identifying information of the process cartridge such that the image forming apparatus main body reads the bar code to manage the life of the process cartridge.
The invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-171329 is very effective.
The present invention represents further progress in the above-described related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic image forming apparatus which can share the use status information of an identical process cartridge when the process cartridge is used in a plurality of electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising recognizing means for recognizing identifying information peculiar to a process cartridge, detecting means for detecting use status information when the process cartridge is used for the image forming apparatus, rewritable storing means for storing the identifying information recognized by the recognizing means and the use status information of the process cartridge detected by the detecting means, and information communicating means for communicating the use status information of the process cartridge stored in another electrophotographic image forming apparatus to which the process cartridge is detachably mountable with the another electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising recognizing means for recognizing identifying information peculiar to a process cartridge, detecting means for detecting use status information when the process cartridge is used for the image forming apparatus, input means for inputting use status information when the process cartridge is used for another electrophotographic image forming apparatus to which the process cartridge is detachably mountable, rewritable storing means for storing the identifying information recognized by the recognizing means and the use status information detected by the detecting means or the use status information inputted by the input means, and information communicating means for communicating the use status information of the process cartridge stored in another electrophotographic image forming apparatus with another electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising recognizing means for recognizing identifying information specific to a process cartridge, detecting means for detecting use status information when the process cartridge is used for the image forming apparatus, input means for inputting use status information when the process cartridge is used for other electrophotographic image forming apparatus to which the process cartridge is detachably mountable, and rewritable storing means for storing the identifying information recognized by the recognizing means, the use status information detected by the detecting means or the use status information inputted by the input means.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.